Bus Stop Lovin'
by takalotti
Summary: Lorelai is taking GED prep courses at a local community college. Luke is taking a business class there. What if Lorelai had met Luke on the bus before she moved into ‘downtown’ Stars Hollow? A one shot birthday present for Jewels12.


**AN**: Happy Birthday, **Jewels12!** This one's for you, so make any character substitutions you feel like ;) And make sure to thank **Mags**. Not only did she beta this for me (it doesn't count as cheating if I thought about you the whole time!), she also totally reworked the story with me. She definitely got a taste of what it's like dealing with my logistical OCD, so now you two can commiserate together :) Also, now you know why I didn't have time to put up the next chapter of Same but Different after you gave it back to me :) Hope you enjoy it!

* * *

On Monday night, Lorelai walked out into the empty hallway after introducing herself to the instructor and asking a few questions at the end of class. When she made her way outside, Lorelai tossed a scowl over her shoulder at the low, brick building, a throwback to the best in 60s architecture. She had arrived at class late even though she reached campus early thanks to the single and very well hidden bathroom, making her wonder if Mike Brady had a hand in its design.

Lorelai checked her watch and clomped down the salty sidewalk, hoping that the bus was running a little behind. She wished she could trot faster so she wouldn't have to wait an extra fifteen minutes in the cold, but her boots bobbled loosely on her feet. Pinching her lips into a thin line, she reminded herself that even though she was grateful for Mia's hand-me-downs, someday she would be able to afford clothing and footwear that fit her properly. Until then, Rory's needs would be the only ones being met.f

She thought about the little girl she was rushing home to, remembering how she had waved goodbye at the door of the potting shed before tugging Sookie inside to 'play' with her vocabulary word flashcards. Lorelai took a moment to smile up at the softly falling snow, then sighed into the crisp January air. She needed to find a way to repay Sookie without actually spending any money. Her friend had mentioned burning her kitchen curtains the other day.

_Maybe if Sookie buys the fabric, I could offer to sew th–_

Though Lorelai had seen the short line of people as she approached the bus stop, it wasn't until she stepped to the end that she noticed the handsome specimen standing next to her. She tried to return to her previous thoughts, but found her mind a blank.

When he looked across his shoulder, Lorelai realized she had been openly staring at him. She quickly looked away, dropping her head to dig inside her purse as if her bus pass wasn't already in her hand. With her face hidden, Lorelai rolled her eyes and waited for the cheesy pick up line. She wasn't completely full of herself, but she'd run into guys like this all the time. The good looking ones always knew how good they looked, and considered a glance from a pretty girl an open invitation.

Strangely enough, the line never came, cheesy or otherwise. Lorelai raised her head and saw that he was staring at his feet with his hands in his back pockets. She squinted at him suspiciously, wondering if he did that on purpose, in order to lift the back of his jacket and emphasize the nice form that had been hidden a minute ago. Lorelai jerked her gaze from his posterior and up to the safety of his clean-shaven face. She watched a muscle in his strong jaw pulse furiously and saw a snowflake alight on his eyelashes. Her eyes trailed up to his full head of brown hair, admiring how the curls framed his ear.

This time when he peeked over at her, Lorelai was curious enough that she continued watching him. The moment he caught her eye, he looked away again skittishly. He whisked his hands out of his pockets and tightly crossed his arms in front of him.

Lorelai's eyebrows lifted in surprise. This was not a reaction she had ever encountered before from someone without pocket protector potential. Her eyebrows then furrowed in self-doubt, realizing she might be coming across as a crazy lady.

"Man," she said, hoping her voice was light and casual. "I was glad to see the bus was running as late as I was, but this is a little ridiculous."

He looked around cautiously as if he were trying to find another target for her comment. "Yeah," he finally said.

"I'm Lorelai." She held her hand out as she introduced herself.

He shook her hand quickly, then asked, "Come again?"

Lorelai did her best to stifle the reflexive snort. "Lorelai," she repeated through a bright smile, hugging her knee length coat a little tighter.

"Sorry, that's just a – not a very – I'm Luke."

"Nice to meet you, Luke," Lorelai said with a polite head nod. "Ahh, thermal refuge," she sighed in relief. In response to his confused scowl, Lorelai jerked her chin up the street where the bus was now in sight. "You're welcome, by the way."

"Excuse me?" he asked over the squeaking brakes.

"Well, it only appeared after I finally caved and complained about its tardiness."

"That was just a coincidence."

"Oh, no. There are no coincidences, my friend."

"Coincidence," he said curtly, then stepped onto the bus.

After she flashed her pass to the driver and received his nod of acknowledgment, Lorelai saw Luke take one of the sideways bench seats. There were several free spots on either side of him, and Lorelai decided to take this as a good indication that she hadn't scared him away completely.

"Do you mind if I…," she trailed off, gesturing to the seat next to him.

Luke looked up at her with a bemused half-smile on his face. "Sure, that's fine," he said, pulling his knees together so he wasn't encroaching on her space.

"So, Luke. You ride the bus often?"

"No, I usually don't have anywhere to go. I stick pretty close to home."

"Yeah, same here. I even live right where I work."

Luke turned to face her straight on and scrutinized her.

"What?" Lorelai asked, self-consciously.

"Nothing," he said, relaxing into his seat again.

After an awkward pause, she tried jump starting the conversation again. "So … are you taking a course at the community college?" It was a completely unnecessary question. What else would someone be doing catching a bus there at 9:40 at night?

"Yeah," Luke answered.

Lorelai gasped, feigning shock. "Me, too!"

He rolled his eyes at her dramatics.

"Was today your first class?" she asked, knowing full well the spring semester had only just started that day.

"Yeah."

"Mine, too!" Lorelai yelped again.

"Hmm, maybe we were even in the same class," Luke said facetiously.

"Ha!" she barked sarcastically. "Doubt it. Don't take that the wrong way," she added hastily in response to his apparent confusion. "You just don't look like – I mean, you strike me – never mind."

"Okay…."

They sat in silence for a little while. Lorelai wasn't embarrassed about her class. In fact, she was kind of proud of it. Not many people in her position had the support structure to do this. But when you say you're going to a prep class for your GED, the next question is always 'Why didn't you graduate?' And while she wasn't ashamed of the answer, hearing 'Because I had my daughter when I was sixteen' can be a lot for a person to handle within fifteen minutes.

Lorelai opened her mouth, with no plan for what she was actually going to say. Luckily, Luke spoke first.

"Well, this is me."

She looked up and saw 'Stars Hollow' scroll across sign for the upcoming bus stop. "Oh, me, too," Lorelai half lied, standing up with him.

"Are you still doing your bit?" Luke asked, eying her skeptically.

"It's not a bit this time."

In truth, it wasn't. The inn where she worked and lived was between two stops; this one and the next. Though she had used the other earlier that evening, there was no reason why Lorelai couldn't use the Stars Hollow stop instead, and one very good reason that she should.

"Well, it was nice meeting you," she said when they had stepped onto the pavement.

"Yeah, you too, Lorelai."

She beamed at him before she turned away, flattered that he remembered the name that had initially given him trouble.

* * *

A week later, Lorelai arrived at the bus stop early. She had been a little disappointed she didn't see Luke on Thursday, but she wasn't entirely surprised that they didn't have the same schedule. Most classes at the community college met three days a week.

The sight of the approaching bus startled her. Lorelai scanned the small crowd again, even though she was sure she wouldn't have overlooked him. Hanging back to let the others get on first, she looked left and right for any sight of Luke, ready to point him out so the driver would wait. But there was no jogging figure anywhere to be seen.

With a sigh, Lorelai stepped onto the bus.

* * *

As she entered her third week of classes, Lorelai had chalked up her encounter with Luke as a freak occurrence. So she was pleasantly surprised when he sidled up next to her at the bus stop.

"Lorelai?"

"Yeah? Oh, hey," she said, oblivious to how dazzling her smile was. "I was hoping to run into you again."

"You w–" he started to say, but was interrupted by the arrival of the bus.

"How's your class going?" she asked when they took their seats together again.

"It's fine," Luke answered as he scratched at his cheek, causing Lorelai to notice the stubble that hadn't been present the last time she saw him.

"That's good. So, where were you last week?"

"Excuse me?"

"Well, I didn't see you last Monday. Did you play hookey?" she teased, nudging him with her elbow.

"What? No. I don't play – I was running late so I had to drive in."

"Wait, you have a car? What are you doing busing in when you have a car?" Lorelai asked him accusingly, though she wasn't exactly complaining.

"First of all, I don't have a car, I have a truck. And second, mass transit is better for the environment," he answered with a shrug.

Lorelai laughed to herself about how very different she was from this man. If she were at a place in her life where she could afford a car, she doubted the environment would ever factor into her plans.

An hour and a half later, Lorelai jumped onto the bus to Stars Hollow just before it pulled away and plopped down next to Luke without any ceremony, her gears turning to find a way to work through the three items on her checklist.

"Hey, honey, how was your day?"

Luke rolled his eyes and glanced around nervously to make sure no one had overheard her misleading statement.

Lorelai laughed at his squirming and quickly put him out of his misery. "Sorry. Your girlfriend probably wouldn't appreciate that joke."

"What girlfriend?" he asked, as if the suggestion were ridiculous.

"Hmm? Oh, never mind," she said distractedly, mentally ticking off the first item. "Okay, so seriously, how was your class?"

"Fine."

"Wow, fascinating," she said dryly.

"What do you want me to say? That the segment on inventory management made me see the world in a whole new way?"

"Yes, because then I'd know your class has something to do with inventory management."

"Why do you care what my class has to do with?"

Lorelai gave him an easy shrug. "Just curious what would be interesting enough to make a guy who sticks close to home get out of the house, get on a bus, and hang out at the community college three nights a week."

"I wouldn't say it's interesting, just useful." When the conversational pause stretched out into awkward silence, Luke looked over and saw her waiting expectantly. "It's just your basic business class," he said in exasperation.

"Oh, are you going for some sort of business degree?"

"No, just looking for some pointers. What about you? What's your class about?"

Though she knew when she asked him about his class that this would be the natural progression of the conversation, Lorelai still felt the need to steel herself as she answered. "I'm taking a prep course before I go for my GED."

"Oh yeah? Good for you."

Lorelai turned and studied him. His tone hadn't been condescending. His face was frank and open.

"What?" Luke asked, leaning slightly away from her.

"Nothing." Lorelai settled into her seat again. "That's just not usually the response I get. Most people ask why I didn't graduate."

"Yeah, well, that's really none of my business."

"True."

"And it doesn't matter why you didn't get your diploma before. You're getting it now."

"I agree."

"…But it's bugging you that I didn't ask, isn't it?"

"No. Well, maybe a little … yes. Aren't you curious?"

"Not really, but if it'll make you feel better, you can pretend like I did ask."

Lorelai huffed as she found herself considering his offer. It wasn't so much that she felt the need to broadcast her situation to anyone that would listen, she just needed to get through the second item on her checklist before she would proceed to the third.

"Well, if you must know," she said dramatically, as if he were dragging the story out of her. "I became a single mom in high school and my priorities shifted."

_Tick._

"Wow. I bet."

"Yeah, well, my priorities have shifted again, all still with the same goal of 'do what's best for my daughter.' I'm doing well at my job, and my employer wants to promote me, but she can't realistically put someone who doesn't have at least a diploma in that position. So, GED prep class."

"Makes sense."

"I concur," she said breezily.

"So, how old is your daughter?"

"Is that a veiled way of asking me how old I am?" she asked with a toothy grin.

"Just making conversation," he said gruffly.

"She's ten," Lorelai answered through a giggle, tickled that he didn't seemed turned off by the topic of her daughter.

"Ten. So that's fourth grade?"

"It is."

"And she goes to Stars Hollow Elementary?"

"Luke, are you planning on stalking my daughter?"

"What? No! I just – I know the teachers there and I was – just forget it."

"I'm teasing. You don't look like stalker material to me. Yes, Rory goes to Stars Hollow Elementary. Now, what were you going to say?"

"Just that she must have Ms. Grimes and that she's a good teacher," he mumbled quickly.

"She is."

Luke glanced up and saw the sign for the upcoming bus stop. He reached up and pulled on the cord. When the bus slowed down, Luke stood up and held out a hand to help her up.

"So hey," Lorelai began once they were off the bus. "I know it's kind of late, but would you want to grab a quick cup of coffee?"

"Definitely not," he answered emphatically.

"Oh." Lorelai quickly found herself stuck between confusion and surprise. The other two items on her list had gone so smoothly, that she had assumed the last one would, too. "Okay then, well, goodnight," she said, speeding away.

"No, I didn't mean –"

"Luke, it's okay. I'll just see you next week," Lorelai called back to him without turning around.

* * *

The next Monday, Lorelai paused in front of the inn. She considered turning right instead of left, debating which would be more awkward, waiting at the Stars Hollow stop and having to deal with Luke, or already being on the bus when he got on which would clue him into the fact that she was avoiding him. Knowing that the latter would be too harsh of a reaction to her minor embarrassment, Lorelai sighed and turned toward Stars Hollow.

When she approached the stop, Lorelai was secretly grateful that there were a couple people in line behind Luke. She could acknowledge him with a cordial nod without having to have an uncomfortable conversation.

Unexpectedly, though, Luke stepped out of line when he saw her and joined her at the end.

"Here," he said, holding a bag out to her.

Lorelai opened the bag and was immediately hit with her favorite mouthwatering aroma.

As she pulled the cup out, Luke added, "There's also some sugar and creamers in there."

"Thanks," Lorelai said softly.

"For the record, I hate coffee. I never touch the stuff and frankly, I don't think anyone should."

"So when you said 'Definitely not'…."

"I was just objecting to the coffee," he sighed.

She nodded, understanding what he wasn't saying. Lorelai hid her smile behind the cup and took a sip. Immediately, her eyes popped open with appreciation. "Holy – wow!"

"Thanks," he chuckled.

"Thanks? You mean you made this?"

"I said I didn't drink it, not that I don't know how to make it. You better put that back in the bag," Luke suggested when the bus pulled up.

Lorelai entered first and walked all the way to the rear. She didn't bother looking behind to see if he was following her. Tucking herself into the far corner of the bench seat along the back, hidden by the two-person seat in front of her, Lorelai snuck the coffee cup out of the bag again.

"Why are we sitting back here?" Luke asked when he slid in next to her.

She simply gestured with the cup in response, noticing his face was soft and smooth again and wondering which she liked better. The scruff had definitely given him a more rugged appearance and made her want to rasp it with her nails like you would a puppy behind the ears. This smooth look, on the other hand … Lorelai tucked one hand under her thigh to make sure it wouldn't accidentally reach up and sweep her thumb over his cheek.

"You can't wait twenty minutes? What if I hadn't brought the coffee?"

"But you did and now I have it and if I wait it'll get cold. And this coffee is too good to let get cold. By the way," Lorelai said, returning to their previous topic. "You do know that coffeehouses don't just serve coffee, don't you?"

"Yeah, I know, thank you. It's just the whole social convention of going out for coffee isn't really my thing."

"When's the last time you went out for not-coffee?"

"Never."

"Ha!" she triumphed, gloating over the hole she found in his logic. "So how do you know it's not your thing?"

"I just know."

"No, you just think you know. C'mon, Luke, meet me for not-coffee. Look at it this way, I'll be helping you prove it's not your thing. We don't even have to go to a real not-coffee place. We can just go to the vending machine area at the college."

"No, we can't. There's not enough time before our classes start."

"So, after class then."

"You're going to drink coffee at quarter to ten?" Luke asked, appalled by the idea.

Lorelai flopped her hand in the air, waving away his concern. "I've been known to drink it at quarter to _one_. So, what do you say? Will you meet me there?" When he paused for too long , she asked incredulously, "Are you actually going to make a girl beg, 'cause I'll do it … loudly, too." Lorelai waited a beat, and when he still didn't say anything, she sucked in a deep breath.

"Okay, okay! Jeez!"

"Ah, that's the spirit. Way to make a girl feel special."

At the end of class, Lorelai quickly packed up her bag and shuffled out of the room. She told herself that she wasn't eager to see Luke. It was just that she knew that if she kept him waiting she'd never get him to agree to this again.

Lorelai dropped her belongings onto a table and waited for the vending machine to dispense her coffee.

"Hey," Luke said, feeding a bill into the next machine over.

"Hi. So what are you getting?"

"Well. That'll rot your teeth, and that's from concentrate so what's the point, so I guess overpriced bottled water."

"Whoa, you're a wild man," she teased, leading him over to the table. "So Luke, why are you looking for pointers in a basic business class?"

"Well, I opened a diner a while back, and this family friend helped me get started, but things have steadily picked up. He still knows his stuff, he's just a little out of date."

"And it doesn't hurt to get another perspective on things," Lorelai said, sensing he felt bad for going around his friend. "So, wow, your own diner, huh?"

"It's not that big a deal. It's not like I had go out and buy the property or anything."

"Oh yeah? Why not?"

"Well, I … you know, it doesn't matter. So, uh, what happens when you get promoted?" Luke asked.

Lorelai noted the abrupt subject change but wasn't about to push her luck when she had worked so hard to get him here. "Let's see. Promotion, save money faster, own a home sooner," she answered, tapping three of her fingertips in turn.

"Sounds like a good plan."

"I thought so," Lorelai agreed.

"So, can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Why did you have to wait this long to get your GED?"

"Like I said, it wasn't a priority. First and foremost, I had to earn money to support us."

"Yeah but … Why did you have to do that? Weren't your parents around to help?"

"They were."

"But they didn't want to?"

"Oh, no, they wanted to," she laughed bitterly. "A little too much." Seeing the unspoken question on Luke's face, Lorelai elaborated. "My parents and I have very different views when it comes to money. To the Gilmores, money means control. When they pay a gardener or maid, they expect to have complete, totalitarian control over everything that person does. Same goes for their daughter. And granddaughter. I took their crap for years, but then I realized this wasn't just about me anymore. I couldn't let Rory grow up under their thumbs. It took me a while to convince myself I had what it took to make it on my own, and then … I left."

Luke nodded thoughtfully, and then blurted out, "I inherited it."

"Pardon?"

"The diner. Well, it wasn't a diner when I inherited it. I converted it into one."

"What was it before?" she asked, tiptoeing around the inheritance part of his statement.

"A hardware store. William's Hardware. That was my dad, William Danes."

Lorelai felt a pang of guilt. After hearing this information, her first thought had been that they had something in common: they were both trying to make it on their own without parental help. Then she reminded herself that her own lack of parental help was self-imposed; his was not.

"I bet your dad would be proud to know your diner was growing enough that you needed to sign up for a class."

"Nah," Luke said dismissively. "He'd tell me I was a fool, that it was a waste of money."

"Well, not a complete waste of money. I mean, you met me, right?" Lorelai's eyes danced with silent laughter as she watched him fidget. "I'm going to refill this and then we better go. Don't want to miss the 9:55."

"Right."

"So, what's the verdict?" she asked as they walked across the quiet campus.

"Verdict?"

"Is going out for not-coffee still not your thing?"

Luke huffed, choosing his words carefully. "Well, I don't hate it as much as I hate coffee."

"A ringing endorsement if I ever heard one," she laughed.

When the bus arrived, Lorelai smuggled her cup on and followed Luke to their new seats in the back.

* * *

Lorelai was a spontaneous creature. She could easily go with the flow when something changed on her, and she herself would sometimes shake things up on purpose. Lorelai would never be accused of being obsessed with routine, especially when compared with her daughter. However, she had her own affection for it.

For example, she liked knowing that the annoying French bell boy would have a snide comment for her around 11:30 when his blood sugar was low. She liked knowing that she would meet Rory in the lobby at 3:45 for a quick 'How was your day?' before she returned to her rounds. And she liked knowing that Sookie would have a bag of leftovers waiting for her shortly after 7:30 when the dinner rush was slowing down.

And now Lorelai was finding new things she liked that were becoming routine. Such as the way she could smell Luke before she saw him by the cup of coffee he always brought her before class. Or the fact that their meetings after class didn't require any invitation other than the 'See ya' they would exchange when they reached campus. Or, how they would always sit in the back now, whether or not she had a smuggled beverage with her. She even liked how bored and lonely she was during the Thursday rides, because she liked the fact that she missed his company.

But as much as she enjoyed these routines, Lorelai found herself being tempted by the possibility of new ones.

There was the way she would catch him looking at her when she opened her eyes after that first moan-inducing sip of his coffee.

There was the night her ankle rolled on a loose brick and Luke caught her. He'd held her close for a little longer than necessary, and just when Lorelai thought something might happen, he released her too quickly, almost causing her to stumble again.

And there was the time they reached Stars Hollow and he looked like he was going to ask if he could walk her home. Instead, he had mumbled a quick goodnight and taken off in the other direction.

So, after another night of pleasant chit-chat over vending machine drinks, with more flirtatious comments and glances than usual, Lorelai opted against refilling her coffee when they stood up from the table. She was going to confront Luke about his odd behavior.

"You are a mystery, Luke Danes," she said wistfully as they made their way toward the bus stop. "Some days I think you can't wait to run away from me, and other days I think you want to kiss me."

Lorelai looked over to see how he was taking her observation. Not surprisingly, he was staring at each step his feet took with a scowl on his face.

"So, which is it, Luke?" she asked as they waited for the bus to arrive.

Luke lifted his eyes from the concrete and fixed her with a hard stare. "Maybe I can't wait to run away from you _because_ I want to kiss you," he murmured.

Lorelai opened her eyes wide, surprised, not by the sentiment, but by how bare his confession was. Before she had time to respond, Luke tore his eyes from hers and appeared to regret his words.

"Luke," she whispered, reaching out to touch his elbow.

"Bus is here," he said, cutting her off. Luke practically leapt up the steps and sat down in their old sideways seats near the front of the bus.

She knew what he was doing. He was scared to sit with her privately after what he had said. But she wasn't going to give in. Lorelai walked right past him to their seats in the back. She watched Luke shift in his seat as he surely debated which would be more awkward: sitting apart from her or moving.

At the next stop, he stood up, blending his movement into the commotion of passengers boarding and leaving. Luke sat in his rightful spot next to her and for a moment neither said anything.

Luke spoke first. "Were you just joking when you asked me that?"

"No. Were you just joking when you answered?"

He shook his head.

"So, why haven't you?"

"Lots of reasons, I guess."

"Good to know there are that many reasons not to kiss me," Lorelai scoffed.

Luke glared at the back of the seat in front of them. "See? There's one of them. I never know when you're joking. You say things like that or 'Way to make a girl feel special' to put me down. But then you call me 'honey,' or say my class wasn't a waste because we met each other. How am I supposed to know when you're flirting with me and when you're just mocking me?"

"Luke," she said sincerely, realizing she'd also been a mystery. "I'm sorry. For me, mocking is … safe flirting. It gives me room to backpedal in case … what I say isn't, uh, well received."

"Okay. Well, then there's the whole dating thing."

"What dating thing?"

"My first kiss with a girl is usually after the first date. I'm not really a fan of dating protocols, but at least a person knows what to expect. You know, dinner, movie, walk her home, kiss at the door. There hasn't been a date, so there hasn't been a kiss."

"We've kind of been dating." He looked at her like she wasn't making any sense. "Well, maybe the setting is a little unconventional. But if you moved some of our conversations to a restaurant, wouldn't you call them dates? And maybe one of our meetings wouldn't count, but add them all together…."

"So, as far as you're concerned, we've essentially gone of a few dates."

"I'd say so."

Luke appeared to consider this, then took a deep breath. "You're a single mom," he said simply.

Lorelai nodded. "And that's too complicated for you. I understand." It wasn't the first time a guy would have been interested in her if it weren't for that one detail, but she thought he might have been different.

"Not complicated. But it's a delicate situation that I wouldn't want to toy with."

She regarded him for a moment. It didn't sound like a bullshit excuse. Lorelai leaned toward him and whispered in his ear, "You don't seem like a toy-er to me."

"I'm not," Luke said in a low voice, turning so that his nose almost touched hers.

"Then you wouldn't be toying with me, would you?" she said with her eyes closed, knowing her breath was dancing over the corner of his mouth. "So, do you still have lots of reasons, Luke?"

"Just one. We're in – I mean, I don't like other – we're not alone," he murmured desperately.

Lorelai opened her eyes, realizing that she had completely forgotten about the driver and other passengers. Holding her head still, she scanned the other occupants of the bus with her eyes. Two people were standing at the front, ready to exit, and the three others who remained were either dozing or reading. The sign at the front was flashing, indicating they were approaching the next stop.

"Are you ready?" she asked, her lips spreading into a grin that would rival the Cheshire Cat's.

"Ready for what?"

"On the count of three."

"What happens on the count of three?"

"One…."

"Lorelai…."

"Two…."

"What are we…?"

"Three!" she hissed as the opening doors created a distraction. Lorelai fisted her hands into the lapels of his open jacket, scooted her butt closer to him, and pulled him down to her.

"Lorelai!"

"What? Now no one can see us, as long as you keep your feet in. And if you would be quiet, no one would hear us, either."

She was in a relatively awkward position, mostly lying across the seat with her head wedged into the joint between her seat and the side of the bus. But she had a feeling it was going to be worth it.

"Lorelai, I can't kiss you like this."

"No, Luke, what you can't do is almost kiss me like that and then not kiss me. Kiss me, Luke. Remember, if you force me to beg, I _will_ do it. Loudly, too."

Lorelai looked at him from under her lashes, watching him struggle with the battle between his head and his desires.

Finally, he leaned in as close as he had been before and paused at the last second. "I've wanted to do this for a long time," he whispered.

"Me, too," she exhaled.

His lips moved the final millimeters necessary to execute the kiss. Lorelai released a bilingual moan, expressing her appreciation for the softness of his lips on hers, while also complaining for more.

Luke's smile broke the kiss and he laughed quietly against her.

"What?" she asked.

"I just like knowing that giving you coffee isn't the only way to make you moan like that," he admitted before pressing another kiss to her lips.

"You've only brought me coffee to hear me moan?" Lorelai asked in mock-indignation when he pulled back.

"Not the first few times, but after that…."

When his lips parted during their next kiss, Lorelai didn't make his tongue ask for permission. She happily invited him in, doing her best to make sure he'd never want to leave.

Luke wrapped his arms underneath her, helping to prop her up so she wasn't slouched at a right angle. Her hand reached up to pet the face she'd fought to resist for so many weeks. Today he was smooth. She'd have to wait for some other day to test out how the stubble felt.

For the first time in a long time, Lorelai lost herself in the pleasure of a man's touch. She reveled in the way his tongue took possession of her mouth and her neck, the feel of those delicate curls around his ears that she had admired that first day, and the hum that danced under every inch of her body as it pressed against his. Lorelai knew she could kiss him for hours and still feel like it wasn't enough.

Her brow crinkled with concern, and just as she began to wonder if she _had_ been kissing him for hours, they were surrounded by a deafening silence.

Both of them popped their eyes open as Luke pulled back, taking in their darkened surroundings. They sat up in time to see the driver step off the bus and into the depot.

"You've gotta be kidding me," Lorelai hissed, half laughing at their predicament.

"I don't believe this! Aren't they supposed to do a sweep of the bus or something?"

"I don't know, but does it matter at this point?"

"Ah jeez. This was a bad idea," he said as he stood up, preparing to lead her out.

"Was it?" she asked. Lorelai rose to her feet and stepped into the aisle, but didn't move any farther.

"Lorelai, I didn't mean it like that."

"Good. Now would you come back here for a second?"

"I have to get you home," Luke objected.

"You will, I'm sure of that. Just come here."

By the few security lights outside the bus, Lorelai could see him roll his eyes before he stepped toward her. She sat down and patted the spot next to her. When Luke seated himself, Lorelai gave him a soft kiss.

"We should go," he urged her.

"We will. But first, I'd like to kiss you again, here on the bus, without being all balled up. And when will I get another chance to do that, huh?"

After a moment of restraint, Luke relented and returned the kiss.

Sitting up had its benefits. Other than avoiding the crick that she had happily ignored before, it gave their hands more freedom to explore. His fingers could rake through her hair or grip her at her waist while his thumb swept over her stomach. And her hands could smooth over the flannel covering his chest.

But sitting up didn't allow for optimum proximity.

When Lorelai leaned back and pulled him with her, she prepared herself to argue against his protests. She _hadn't_ expected him to follow her so willingly.

Luke lifted up and let her swing her legs onto the seats. He climbed over her, one foot between hers, the other on the floor, braced against one of the poles.

After one too many times of having Luke's roaming hand tangled up inside her coat while she clutched at him, Lorelai wriggled her arms out of the sleeves. Luke followed her lead, propping himself up on one arm and then the other to let her help him off with his jacket. He coaxed Lorelai to lift her head up by pulling his kisses just barely out of reach, and then tucked his coat under her head.

"Thanks," she smiled up at him.

"Sure."

His skilled tongue drove Lorelai's imagination wild, making her think about how amazing it would feel on other parts of her body. His hands didn't require more than a few encouraging moans to convince them to caress her breasts.

Lorelai's fingers were soon clawing at his shirt. She freed both layers from his jeans and snaked her way under the fabric. With purpose, Lorelai smoothed her palms up his sides and over his chest. Her fingers played along the various well-defined ridges they found.

"Luke," she purred, begging him to follow suit.

As his hand dipped under the hem of her sweater, Lorelai smiled triumphantly at how well he was taking her instruction. His fingers trailed up her torso, pulling her top up higher. Their stomachs touched, stoking the flames that burned within. When his hand closed over her cotton bra, she couldn't take it anymore.

"Off," Lorelai commanded urgently.

"Sorry," Luke mumbled, whisking his hand away and dropping his head as he backed away from her.

"Not you!" she corrected, grabbing at him to bring him close again. "Sweater. Shirts. Off."

"Oh," he sighed with a relieved smile as he watched her unbutton his plaid shirt.

Lorelai pushed the flannel down his arms and threw it over the back of a neighboring seat. Her hands glided up his skin, dragging the white t-shirt along with them. Luke reached up and pulled it off the rest of the way, extracted one arm, and shook the shirt off the other. She shifted her body until he was able to pull her sweater over her head.

Luke's hand covered her stomach as he lowered himself over her again, warming her exposed skin. His fingers spread and closed, slowly inching higher and causing Lorelai to make strained mewling sounds that he swallowed with his mouth. When his hand finally returned to her bra, she let out a grateful sigh and relaxed into him. Luke swept his thumb over the fabric, teasing the point that reached out to him.

Two fingers followed the trail of her strap up to her shoulder and brushed it aside. Lorelai felt the cup go slack around her as Luke's tongue and lips pressed wet kisses along her jaw and down her neck. She squirmed in anticipation, willing his mouth lower. As he approached the loose material, Luke angled his head so he could nudge it aside with his nose. Little by little, he burrowed his way along her breast, greeting each centimeter of new skin with a moist, heated kiss.

Lorelai didn't realize she was already arching into him until she felt his hand reach behind her. Just as his mouth closed on her hardened nipple, she felt the tension around her chest vanish. Luke hooked one finger between the cups and pulled her bra away, tossing it so it landed by his shirt.

Her fingers raked through his hair and mussed his loose curls. Her nails scraped along his scalp when he squeezed her breast into a high mound. Luke drew her into his mouth with ever increasing suction, his tongue teasing her nipple.

As her body undulated beneath him with both pleasure and impatience, Lorelai felt her thigh press into the hard bulge behind his zipper and enjoyed how it caused his breathing to hitch. She did it again and heard the air hiss through his teeth. Lorelai kept at it, wondering how long he would be able to resist her suggestion.

With a growl, Luke reached for the impertinent limb, wrapping it over his leg as he settled between her thighs.

"Luuuke," she groaned desperately, but he must have taken it as a warning.

"Don't worry, Lorelai. I won't…."

"No, please don't stop."

"Gotta stop. Don't have –"

"It's okay … I'm covered. And, I'm, you know … good."

Luke pulled away from her breast to study her face. "You're…." When he deciphered what she was saying, his eyes brightened with understanding and he nodded. "I'm … you know … too. Are you sure you really…?"

"Very sure," she answered, her voice throaty with lust.

"Christ, Lorelai," he gritted out, shifting onto his knee. His fingers flew to the button and zipper on her pants as hers attacked his belt. "I don't normally…."

"Neither do I," Lorelai assured him, shoving Luke's jeans over his hips to expose his strained boxers. She kicked her boots off, and for once she was grateful for how oversized they were.

Luke rocked back on his heel, dragging the two articles of clothing down her legs.

"You're irresistible," he exhaled.

"Liar. You spent so many weeks –" Lorelai stepped one foot out and let him remove her sock. "– too many weeks –" she clarified as they repeated their motions with her other foot. "– resisting me."

"Didn't want to," Luke explained, standing up next to her and letting his jeans fall to his ankles. He toed off his shoes and pushed his boxers down. Luke stepped out of his heap of clothes, placing one knee on the hem of her coat and bracing his other foot against the pole again as he climbed over her.

"Socks on?" Lorelai asked.

"Floor's dirty," he answered, guiding her leg over his again.

As he kissed her and dipped his tongue into her mouth, Luke laid his erection over her curls. Lorelai smoothed her hands over his shoulders and along his strong back, enjoying the way his hot skin felt. He moved his hips slightly, gently grinding against her. When he ducked his head into the crook of her neck, Luke angled himself so that he parted through her wetness, rubbing his tip against her clit.

"Lorelai…."

"I told you, Luke, I'm sure," she whimpered, wondering how much more permission he was going to need.

Luke shook his head against her neck indicating that's not what he was asking. "Can I always walk you home?" His voice was quiet and shy.

Lorelai's heart quivered inside its cage. Her breath caught in the back of her throat and she had to swallow before she could respond. "Yes, Luke." Her forearms crossed over his shoulders, one hand cradling his head affectionately.

"And can I take you out sometime? Lots of times?"

"Not often, but yes, Luke," she answered honestly. "Rory," she whispered by way of explanation.

He lifted his face so he could look at hers. Brushing his thumb over her cheek, Luke gazed into her eyes and smiled. "Good."

When their lips pressed together, Luke touched his head to her entrance. And when his tongue dipped into her mouth, he sank into her.

Lorelai spread her knees as wide as their location would allow, pulling him deeper inside. She arched up against him as his steady thrusts massaged her tender flesh, slinking her arms between them so she could circle them around his chest.

"Oh," she moaned, spurring him on. "Yes," Lorelai choked out when he finally pushed his entire length into her.

Digging her fingers into his back, she clenched around him in warm welcome.

Luke groaned in appreciation as he circled against her, igniting her sensitive nerves. One of her hands gripped his back, the other his ass, and both could feel his taut muscles straining under his control. His hand cupped her breast, thumb circling her raised nipple. The tip of his tongue flicked against the tip of hers, causing Lorelai to emit an open-mouthed whimper against this triple assault.

Then his hips pulled far away from her, his hand moved to brace himself on the seat again, and his lips left hers. Lorelai opened her eyes, bewildered by the loss.

"Come back," she whispered, reaching up to touch his soft cheek.

"That's the plan," Luke assured her. He moved his hand to hers, kissed her palm, and then turned it so their fingers laced together. Luke placed their joined hands just above her head, and then sank into her in one smooth, long motion.

Her eyes fluttered closed, taking in the wondrous sensations as his elongated strokes filled her over and again.

Lorelai rocked in time with him, her heart rate climbing as he picked up the pace. Their movements had long since been calm enough for them to continue kissing, so her thumb grazed over his swollen lips, holding her place until she could taste them again.

Every time he sank into her and ground against her clit, she thought that was the best part. But when he glided his slick length underneath it at that perfect angle, Lorelai was certain _that_ was the best part.

"Oh, Luke, yesss," she hissed, feeling a tingle spread across her skin.

Luke began plunging into her wildly, hooking one arm under her as he gripped the top of her shoulder to keep her from sliding up her coat.

Suddenly, everything aligned inside her. The depth, the pressure, the speed, their tightness together all mixed to form a perfect cocktail of pleasure. It felt like every muscle in her body contracted, including the ones deep inside her core.

"Lorelai," he croaked.

"Yes," she moaned, feeling her body catapulting toward release.

"Lorelai," Luke choked out, and she knew he was going to be right behind her.

"Yes," Lorelai gasped.

He swelled inside her, and Lorelai felt lost and found in the same moment as she bucked against him wantonly. She cried out loudly and unintelligibly, clenching his hand while her orgasm clenched around him.

Luke grunted his release into her, prolonging the waves that coursed through her body.

They rode each other out, their movements and pulses slowing until they were calm enough to reward one another with kisses.

"Please tell me we can do that again sometime," Lorelai panted as she came down from her high.

"Anytime," he quickly agreed.

Lorelai grinned, tickled to see his earlier resistance replaced by boyish eagerness.

After they put themselves back together, but before they walked out hand in hand to call a cab, Lorelai borrowed Luke's pocketknife. She etched a small L+L into an unworn spot on the hard plastic over his objections.

"Promise me something," Lorelai whispered as they embraced each other.

"Anything."

"Whenever we see that, whenever we know we're sitting inches away from where this happened, you have to kiss me. Right here, I don't care how many people can see. And it has to be on the lips."

He rolled his eyes and groaned, "Ah jeez," but when she continued to stare at him expectantly, he found himself nodding. "I promise, Lorelai," Luke mumbled, leaning in to back up his word.


End file.
